GitHub makes AI Copilot free for VS Code developers – with limitations

Microsoft's code repository subsidiary GitHub has announced its launch Github copilot freean accessible version of the popular AI-powered coding assistant, now directly connected to the Visual Studio Code (VS Code) integrated developer environment (IDE).

Remember that Github first launched its version of Copilot based on the Codex OpenAI code completion model back in 2022before the launch of ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, and has been updated regularly since then.

The new free suite for VS Code aims to expand the The power of AI code completion assistant access to a wider audience of developers – that is, those with only light usage needs and tighter budgets.

This announcement coincides with GitHub crossing the milestone of 150 million developers on its platform.

According to CEO Thomas Dohmke, this move builds on GitHub's history of providing free tools to the developer community.

Previously, GitHub offered free repositories, minutes of continuous integration / continuous delivery (CI / CD) and Codespaces. Copilot Free adds another level to those offerings aimed at casual users or smaller-scale projects.

Copilot Free also comes after GitHub gave free, unlimited access to the more full-featured and less restrictive Copilot Pro ($10 USD per month per seat) to students, staff education and open source maintainers. The company says it will continue to offer Copilot Pro for free to these users.

Free GitHub Copilot features

GitHub Copilot Free provides users with 2,000 code completions and 50 chat messages per month, which are accessible after signing in with a personal GitHub account.

The service is benefiting advanced AI modelsincluding Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet and OpenAI's GPT-4o.

These models allow developers to seek help with coding questions, debug existing code or implement edits across multiple files. However, for those who want to use premium AI models such as Google Gemini 1.5 Pro and o1-preview OpenAI, they need to switch to Pro and other paid plans.

The new free series includes:

• Multiple file editing: Users can make changes across multiple files through Copilot Edits, which combines dialog with code generation.

• End support: Copilot can explain errors, fix failed commands and even recommend shell scripts via terminal chat.

• Custom instructions: Developers can define coding options at the project or editor level, ensuring consistent code generation tailored to specific frameworks or guidelines.

• Voice commands: A built-in speech interface allows users to interact with Copilot hands-free, using voice commands to prototype apps or debug code.

• Project context awareness: AI Copilot partners can provide support based on a comprehensive understanding of the entire code base.

Availability and Future Plans

GitHub Copilot Free is available immediately in VS Code and GitHub.com. Developers just need a GitHub account to get started.

In addition to these offerings, GitHub is previewing an advanced feature called Vision Copilot. This tool allows developers to generate user interfaces from screenshots or markup, streamlining the design-to-code workflow.

While still in preview, Vision Copilot requires users to provide their own API key to access AI services.

Commitment to Developer Empowerment

GitHub's introduction of Copilot Free demonstrates its continued commitment to empowering developers. As part of the announcement, Dohmke highlighted the company's mission to lower barriers for the global developer community.

The free suite adds to a growing suite of AI-powered tools integrated into VS Code, offering practical solutions to everyday challenges such as debugging, naming conventions and message generation .

For those interested in exploring the capabilities of GitHub Copilot Free, the service can be enabled directly in VS Code or accessed through the GitHub dashboard.